Learning To Love
by The Wolf Inside
Summary: What will happen when Remus Lupin's worst fear may become a reality? Will he be able to live with himself? Will his few remaining friends shun him? -Basically it is as if Harry and everyone already know Remus and nearly everything that happened in PoA has already happened before their first year.
1. Chapter 1

Remus Lupin knew he didn't have much time until nightfall and knew very well that he shouldn't have been out when it was so close to the last day of the full moon. He saw the last few rays of sun starting to fade behind the trees and he quickened his pace. He must get back and drink his potion before the moon came out.

"Perhaps I'll cut through this forest…" Lupin thought. After all, he'd been in the  
Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts; this Muggle forest couldn't possibly be as dangerous. Lupin had just begun to walk through the first bunch of trees when he started to have doubts. What if he didn't get back in time? What if he couldn't drink his potion before the Change? No, he couldn't afford to think like that. He put such thought out of his mind; nonetheless, he walked even more quickly. What time was it? How much farther had he to go? The sun was fully set by now. Nearly a quarter of an hour had gone by since he started through the forest.

The beginnings of panic started to overcome him. Luckily there were no strangers milling about the forest. He shuddered to think what would happen if he couldn't make it home before the Change and he happened to come across someone. Lupin walked quickly and quietly as it was now fully dark out and he didn't know how much longer he had until the moon came out. Over half an hour had passed now and it was then that Lupin's pace faltered. He thought he'd glimpsed the figure of a person. Perhaps he was just imagining things in his hurry to get home. He continued on occasionally looking from side to side.

As he walked he kept his eyes trained on the ground so he wouldn't accidently glimpse anything in the sky. Soon Lupin started to become angry at anything that slowed him down even in the slightest. He lashed out several times at stray branches that snagged on his robes. He continued to walk at a brisk pace as though trying to find out how fast he could walk without actually running. Just as Lupin began to think that he must be nearing the end of the forest he noticed that the treetops were considerably thinner. He glimpsed the darkness of the sky and quickly looked back at the ground. No less than five minutes later Lupin was plunged into darkness. Ignoring what this meant he reached for his wand

"Lumos." He muttered and lit a path of light ahead of him. He began to scold himself inwardly. What was he thinking? Going out on a full moon night when it was so close to nightfall, especially when he knew he hadn't at least taken his potion. Still muttering angrily at himself he didn't notice the moon's appearance. Suddenly Lupin stopped dead. No, this time he was sure he hadn't imagined it. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw the outline of a person.

When he turned to look at it, it was no longer there. It vanished so quickly…perhaps he had imagined it. Yet he was sure for an instant that he had seen someone.

"Hello?" he called out "Is anyone there?" When no one answered he continued on willing himself to not look up at the sky. He could just imagine Tonk's reaction when he suddenly burst through the door scrambling for his potion. Lupin smiled in the semi-darkness. Mad as she would be, he would be glad when he saw her. As he continued on he was suddenly bathed in silvery light and he knew it was too late. He looked up at the moon and just as he thought that this couldn't possibly get any worse, he saw the figure of someone hidden in the shadows. "No…" he breathed.

It was several minutes after he woke up that Lupin realized what happened. It was only when he heard labored breathing right next to him did he look around. What he saw shocked him so badly that he couldn't react for a moment. There lying in the dried leaves was a little girl who at first glance seemed to be covered in a dark liquid that looked suspiciously like –

"Blood." Lupin whispered. "Oh, no…no, no." He turned the girl gently onto her back. There were three slashes across her face and she was bleeding but where most of it seemed to be coming from was the girl's neck. Lupin looked at it and saw, right where her neck and shoulder met, what he had been dreading. The unmistakable shape of a large bite mark. Lupin seized fistfuls of his hair and walked around her to get a better look.

"No…I can't believe it." he muttered. She was losing blood fast, but she was still alive! Maybe he could help her. She wasn't about to get landed with this curse if he could help it. He took out his wand and wrapped her shoulder as best as he could. He prepared himself to pick her up and thought she was surprisingly light. At a closer inspection of her thin frame Lupin then thought that it was fairly stupid of him to think she was going to be heavy. Lupin held her tightly and Disapparated. He reappeared at the entrance to the grounds of Hogwarts.

With a wave of his wand he conjured up a broomstick, mounted it, and after making sure that she was secure he, took off towards the castle. Lupin had no idea how he had managed to get into the castle, find the entrance to the Headmaster's office, and end up I front of the office door. It all seemed to go by in no time at all. Lupin carefully held the girl with one arm and knocked hurriedly.

"Come in." A voice answered. The door opened to reveal none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"Remus, what a pleasant surprise -" Lupin had just begun to think that this was about as opposite of a pleasant surprise as you could get when Dumbledore's words cut off as his eyes fell on the girl. "What's happened, Remus?" Lupin looked at the other man imploringly.

"Please…I need your help." he said. Dumbledore dropped his gaze. "You've bitten this child." He said softly. His words were not harsh but Lupin could hear the disappointment in them. "Please…help me. I – I don't want her to be like me…" he said. Lupin stared at the other man intently, awaiting an answer. Dumbledore looked up quickly. "How long ago was she bitten?"

Lupin shrugged. "It could have been minutes; it could have been an hour! Does it really matter? Just help her, she's dying!" The older man stood up quickly and examined her briefly. He conjured a cot with his wand. "You may set her down here, Remus." He said. Lupin walked over and carefully set her down on the cotton sheets which quickly became stained by her blood.

At that very moment the door to the Headmaster's office flew open revealing Severus Snape. Snape's lip curled unpleasantly at the sight of Lupin but Dumbledore stepped forward. "Severus," he said with just a hint of a warning in his voice "how fortunate that you've arrived. I need you to make a potion for this girl and be quick about it." Snape looked livid. "But Headmaster, I wished to express -" he began but Dumbledore cut him off.

"Now, Severus." With a nasty look at Lupin he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Dumbledore walked back to the girl and examined her carefully. "You bit her on the neck?" It was a simple question but Lupin didn't know why it made him feel so ashamed. He simply nodded silently. Dumbledore told him to tell him the story of how it happened while he checked her over. Lupin told him how he went into town and how it was very close to nightfall. He was just getting round to the part where he thought he might have seen someone when he was interrupted by Snape as he walked in with a smoking goblet.

Lupin stood quickly, not quite sure what to do. Dumbledore came over as well and took the goblet from Snape. "Thank you, Severus. That will be all." He said.

"But Headmaster -" Snape tried again. "That will be all." Dumbledore said firmly. Snape scowled and once again swept from the room. Lupin simply stood there unsure. "How – how do we give it to her?" he asked uncertainly.

"I think you should try and give it to her." Dumbledore said. "Me?" Lupin asked incredulously. "No, no. I've caused enough damage!" The older man stared at him and Lupin sighed. He took the smoking goblet and walked to the girl. He cringed when he saw how utterly covered in blood she was. Her shirt was so drenched in it he couldn't even tell what color it was. And he could see that underneath the blood she was as pale as death. He felt a strong wave of emotion.

He, Lupin, had done this to this innocent girl. He looked back at Dumbledore who only nodded quickly. Lupin gently took one of the girl's hands and immediately flinched at how cold it was. Her eyes fluttered weakly and she stared at him without actually seeing him. "Listen…you're – you're hurt. You need to drink this… to get better." He said feeling as though he might as well have told the cot for all the good it did. He looked at Dumbledore for assistance.

"Could you hold her up for me?" he asked. The other man nodded and raised her into a sitting position with a firm hand. She suddenly seemed a bit more aware of her surroundings. "Here, drink this." Lupin said "Quickly, now…" Her eyes fell on the goblet and she slowly raised her hand and put it over Lupin's who once again flinched at the coldness of it. She slowly raised it to her lips with Lupin's help but stopped before she could drink any. She looked at Lupin briefly and he realized that he couldn't bear to look her in the eye. "Come now," he said raising the goblet to her lips again. "Drink…go on. …There we go." After drinking half of the goblet he pulled away.

"I know, it's awful, but you have to finish it if you want to get better." Lupin told her imploringly, hoping that she understood. She looked as if she were about to faint. Her eyes rested on Dumbledore and he spoke softly. "Go on, child. You must drink it." She slowly raised the goblet once more and drank the last of the potion. The moment she finished the last drop she fell back onto the cot. Dumbledore examined her carefully, checking her wounds, her pulse and her eyes. Lupin watched apprehensively.

"Did – did it work?" he asked. "She is not healing as she should be." Dumbledore said as he put her hand down. "And she is as cold as ice." Lupin, who had collapsed into a chair, let the goblet fall with a clatter. "So she's…" he began but Dumbledore cut him off.

"I am not quite sure. I am afraid there is a good chance…she might not survive at all." Lupin looked up quickly. "And if she does? Will she be like…" he trailed off, too afraid to say the words. Dumbledore sat behind his desk. "I'm afraid there is no way to know for sure." He said. Lupin looked at the girl sadly. "So what do we do?" he asked.

"I think you should take her with you -" Dumbledore began.

"What?!" Lupin interrupted.

"- until the next full moon." Dumbledore continued as though Lupin hadn't said anything. "If nothing happens we can modify her memory and take her home. If she transforms, well, we'll figure it out from there." Lupin stared at Dumbledore, incredulous.

"Where am I supposed to take her?" he asked. Dumbledore have a small smile. "I'm sure Molly and Arthur Weasley would be more than willing to let you stay if you explain the circumstances."

"What am I supposed to say? That I was an idiot and a fool -" he began but Dumbledore stood up quite suddenly. "Remus! You are not an idiot or a fool! And I doubt anyone at The Burrow will accuse as such. Now kindly refrain from insulting yourself in such manners, while in my presence, from now on." Dumbledore has spoken with such power that all Lupin could do was sit and stare.

"I – I'm sorry -" he stuttered but Lupin couldn't finish for Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Do not apologize to me. Apologize to yourself." He said. "You were always rather hard on yourself but I would've never thought I'd live to see the day when you would go so far as to call yourself an idiot." Dumbledore stared at Lupin who was staring at the edge of Dumbledore desk, head slightly hung.

"You. Are not. An idiot, Remus." Dumbledore repeated slowly "Do you understand?" Lupin only nodded who felt as though he were merely a student being told off. He was amazed that Dumbledore could still make him feel like that. His thoughts were interrupted when the girl coughed and he turned around just in time to see a bit of blood come out of her mouth. Lupin turned away; how could he have done something so horrible?

"Perhaps we should call Poppy seeing that the potion is not working properly." The older wizard said. Lupin nodded. "As long as she doesn't tell anyone." He said looking at his former Headmaster, hoping he would understand.

"Of course, of course" said Dumbledore as he got up and walked towards the door. Lupin watched as the door closed behind him. He got up, walked to the girl's side and took one of her hands. "Please let it work. She deserves a normal life." He looked at her and remembered how painful it had been when he was attacked as a boy.

Suddenly the girl stiffened and let out a strangled sort of yell. Lupin jumped and looked around remembering that he was alone. She had started to shake uncontrollably and he knew that for some reason she was experiencing great pain. "What is it? What's wrong?!" he said frantically. She had started yelling again and was trembling more violently than ever. Lupin started to panic.

Where had Dumbledore gone? He couldn't possibly be coming back yet. Lupin sprang to his feet and went to the door. "Albus!" he called out. The word however had barely left him, when the girl's yells stopped. He turned and saw that she was no longer shaking, though her breathing was slightly laboured. He approached her cautiously. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Then the girl sat bolt upright so suddenly that Lupin jumped backward I shock. At that very moment Dumbledore walked in closely followed by Madam Pomfrey. The girl was awake…


	2. Chapter 2

Dumbledore's eyes took in the scene in a split second. He put an arm out to stop Lupin as he had made a move in the girl's direction. She had now scrambled off the cot and was peering at them over the edge, looking quite frightened, indeed. For the first time in ages, Lupin had no idea what to do. Dumbledore smiled warmly at her.

"Hello" he said pleasantly as through he frequently had very bloody children in his office "How nice of you to join us." She merely stared at them as though waiting for something to happen.

Lupin and Dumbledore simply stood, watching. Madam Pomfrey, however, looked scandalized. "Good lord, why _didn't_ you call me earlier?! She's a right mess, she is!" she said, bustling forward, but stopped in her tracks as she realized what she had said. She turned to Lupin with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Remus, dear. I didn't mean that…wasn't thinking, you know." Lupin waved away her apology though he secretly agreed with her. The girl _was_ a mess…and it was his fault. It was his doing.

Madam Pomfrey took out her wand as she was walking toward the girl. The girl shrunk away and quickly looked around for some way out. Madam Pomfrey smiled kindly at her.

"It's alright." she said "You're hurt. I'm going to help you." The girl slipped under Madam Pomfrey's arm and ran to the other side of the office with surprising speed. Dumbledore stepped forward carefully. "You are hurt, badly. Let us help." At his last word she shook her head.

"Please." said Dumbledore taking a step forward. "You could die." The girl shrugged slightly and looked away. It broke Lupin's heart to know that she did not really care whether or not she lived or died.

Madam Pomfrey came forward, hurriedly. "Oh, enough questioning! The poor child is bleeding out in front of us!" She raised her hand to examine the girl's face and the girl flinched as though she expected the nurse to hit her. Lupin felt even more saddened at this. Wherever the girl was before, they had been beating her. Madam Pomfrey looked incredulous.

"I'm not going to _hurt _you." she said, looking bewildered that any child would think an adult would hit them. "Listen to me" she said "If you don't let me help you, you might die from blood loss -"

Clearly the nurse had only wanted the girl to see the seriousness of the situation, but stopped midsentence as she saw the girl's expression. The girl slowly looked down at her shoulder as if dreading the sight that would meet her eyes. She gasped when she saw that shirt was drenched in blood. She slowly raised a trembling hand to her forehead and when she pulled it back, her fingers were bloody. She stared at her fingers, then at Dumbledore, Lupin and Madam Pomfrey, and back again. For a moment it seemed that no one knew what to do until Dumbledore spoke softly.

"You see? You have lost quite a lot of blood and I am, in fact, astounded that you are alive and especially, conscious, right now. So if you would please let Madam Pomfrey try to heal you, we will explain how you came to be here." The girl said nothing for a long while, but after losing so much more blood that she swayed dangerously, she finally nodded.

Madam Pomfrey raised her wand to the girl's face and she flinched but did not run away. The girl looked incredulously at her wand and then at Dumbledore and Lupin, as though expecting one of them to burst out laughing and say it was a joke. The nurse cast a spell over the scratches that made them knit together and become much thinner and fainter.

Lupin watched, amazed. His scars had never gone away completely and he felt slightly better knowing that she wouldn't have to live every day hiding from the world. Madam Pomfrey had now moved on to the girl's neck and removed the bandages that Lupin had put on her. The girl looked at the wound and when she looked up at Dumbledore and Lupin, the question could not have been plainer in her eyes.

"We will explain how you got hurt after you are healed." said Dumbledore as he walked to his desk. The nurse finished and wrapped the girl's shoulder once more.

She smiled and said "There. See? Don't you feel better?" The girl simply stared at Madam Pomfrey as though convinced she was having a very strange dream.

Dumbledore smiled and said "Thank you, Poppy. You may go now and please do not mention this – ah – predicament to anyone else." She nodded and with a last look at the girl, walked to the door. Lupin stopped her and looked at her hopefully.

"Would – would you mind telling Severus not to mention this to anyone else, either?" he asked. She put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Of course, dear. I'll tell him. And Albus told me how it happened. It's not your fault." She said, and with that, she exited the Headmaster's office. Lupin turned toward the girl immediately, but she was looking at Dumbledore in a most peculiar way as though she had never seen anyone quite like him.

Lupin couldn't blame her, as Dumbledore was wearing midnight blue robes and both his beard and hair were long enough to tuck into his belt. The girl looked very frightened and was looking at the nearest window as though she were honestly considering jumping out of it. Lupin did not know what to do and looked at Dumbledore for assistance. The girl was looking frantically from Lupin, who was still standing near the door and Dumbledore, who was sitting at his desk.

"Please, have a seat." said Dumbledore, gesturing at a chair. The girl made no move toward the chair and simply stared at Dumbledore, looking as though she wished she could evaporate into nothingness. "Remus." Dumbledore said. Lupin jumped and looked at him.

"Please help me explain as I know only a small portion of how this happened." Lupin had been dreading this moment. He crossed the room and sat in the chair that Dumbledore had offered the girl.

"I – I was going into town because I needed to get some things – but I was so stupid! I knew the moon was going to come out… Why did I go anyway?" Lupin said, talking more to himself then to either of the other two people in the room.

"Remus." Dumbledore said once more. Lupin looked up and the older man nodded at the girl who was looking very confused as though the two men were speaking a different language. Lupin paled and he knew he would have to tell her what he was, and what he might have made her. He took a deep breath and tried to find the right words.

"I was walking home and I decided to go through the forest. It was a full moon tonight and – wait, you were following me weren't you?" Suddenly there was realization in the girl's face as she looked at Lupin.

"Well, I was trying to get home quickly and I thought I was seeing someone but I just thought I imagined it in my hurry to get home. But I'm – I'm guessing that was you, wasn't it? You were in the woods tonight?" he asked the girl. She nodded slowly, looking like she was wondering where this story was going but was listening all the same.

"You see, I hadn't taken my potion tonight and I was worried. If I had taken it, it wouldn't have really mattered as muck because I could just act like an ordinary wolf and people would have enough sense to avoid me. But seeing as I didn't take it, I had to get home." The girl looked even more confused as she was trying to make sense of what Lupin said.

Lupin searched her face for any sign of realization. Surely she should have figured it out by now or at least have some strong suspicions. He sighed and continued as he knew that Dumbledore would want to hear the rest.

"Well, I finally knew I wasn't going to make it back so I just let it happen, but right before the wolf took over I – I knew….I knew I would attack…I – I" Lupin shook his head, unable to go on and Dumbledore nodded.

"Thank you, Remus. I understand now, but Im afraid our guest does not." He was right. The girl now looked utterly lost and was staring at them as though waiting for them to elaborate. Lupin was scared… How would she react when she found out? Dumbledore simply nodded, encouragingly, and Lupin sighed. It was best to tell her sooner than later. He took a deep breath and looked in her direction.

"I…I attacked you." he said in a quiet voice "And I'm – I'm a werewolf." He waited for the shock and revulsion but it didn't come. He looked up at her and saw that she was staring at him incredulously. Why wasn't she looking disgusted? Or running from him? She simply looked as though she didn't know what to say at this announcement. Then it hit him. She didn't _believe _him.

"Yes" said Dumbledore "He is a werewolf and he attacked you. You do realize what this could mean?" The girl was staring at them and the look on her face clearly said that she thought they were completely mad.

"You do know about werewolves, don't you?" Lupin asked. She stared at him in a way that said if he wasn't a complete stranger to her, she would be concerned for his sanity. Lupin turned to Dumbledore and spoke in a low voice.

"I don't think she knows. I don't see how she couldn't know about werewolves. I mean, surely her parents have told her." Dumbledore nodded and smiled at the girl. "Why don't you tell us who your parents are?" The girl's face darkened and she looked away. Lupin felt the tension in the room become heavier. He looked at Dumbledore questioningly and saw his brow furrow slightly.

"Surely know your parents' names?" Lupin asked, confused. She shook her head slowly. How could this girl not know her own parents' names? Unless…

"You have parents…right?" Lupin asked softly, feeling like he already knew the answer. She shook her head once more. "Well, then where do you live? With an aunt, uncle?" Another shake. "Then, where? Unless you live in an orphanage, I don't know where else -" She had looked up at him suddenly and he knew he was right. She nodded slowly as though ashamed. At least he wouldn't have to explain this to two angry parents wondering where their child was.

Lupin could think of nothing to say at this. "Well, what's your name?" he asked. He thought it was a fairly simple question and didn't know why she suddenly backed away from him looking even more frightened. Lupin decided not to ask again as she wasn't keen on the subject. Lupin felt very confused about this girl. How could she not know about werewolves? It just didn't make sense.

"Maybe she's a Muggle." Lupin whispered to the older man, who nodded. Lupin turned to her. "Listen, I'm…a werewolf. And I attacked you…so – so you could be one too. Do you understand?" She nodded though he could tell she still didn't believe a single word.

"You will have to stay with Remus for a month, alright?" Dumbledore said. She nodded, but remained silent. "You will be going to a place called The Burrow and there will be other people there." She nodded once more and Lupin stood up. When he walked over to her she looked up at him and they both gasped. Lupin stared at her in bewilderment. Her eyes were the exact same color as his. They stared at each other for a moment, until Dumbledore cleared his throat, oblivious to what just occurred. Lupin turned to him and his look of bewilderment did not go unnoticed. The Headmaster's brow furrowed slightly.

Lupin couldn't find the right words, so he simply turned back to the girl, in wonder. What did this mean? How could two strangers have the exact same eye color? His thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore clearing his throat softly.

"Is there a problem?" Lupin turned to him, but couldn't find the right words, so he approached the desk and motion for the girl to follow. She hesitated, looking very uncomfortable with the both of them. She took a few slow steps toward the desk. With more motioning from Lupin, she finally came to the edge of the desk and it was clear that she was very scared and nervous about being in such close proximity of them.

Lupin looked Dumbledore in the eye and saw the girl do the same. He waited for Dumbledore to realize and out of the corner of his eye Lupin saw the girl tense as Dumbledore's gaze found her eyes. He thought he saw something flash through the other man's eyes, but it vanished abruptly.

"Well…" said Dumbledore, with a small smile "It seems you both share a lovely characteristic…how funnily coincidental." Then to both of their surprise, Dumbledore laughed. They stared at him wondering what could possibly be funny. When his laughter subsided, he spoke to Lupin.

"Well, Remus? Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lupin stared at the other man and the girl seemed just as confused. He noticed that she was now standing several feet away from them and he assumed that when Dumbledore had suddenly burst out laughing, she had jumped back in surprise.

Lupin wanted to protest, but something in the other man's tone made him feel that the conversation was over. He slowly walked toward the door and saw that the girl had not moved an inch. She did not trust him. _"Well, of course she doesn't trust you" _said a voice in his head _"You nearly tore her to ribbons, didn't you?" _ He looked back at her expectantly. She looked around the room for some way out, but after finding none she reluctantly followed him out the door.

As Lupin lead the way, he noticed she was following from several feet behind him and she was clearly terrified of him. He didn't know why she was so afraid. If she didn't believe him about being a werewolf, then why should she be afraid? As he kept throwing glances back at her, he missed a step, stumbled and fell in a tangle of robes. He hit his head on a number of stairs and was threatening to lose consciousness.

He saw the girl staring at him fearfully and she looked torn between trying to help him or running at top speed while she had the chance. Lupin was flashing in and out of consciousness and right before he surrendered to the darkness his last thought was "Please…don't go…"


	3. Chapter 3

The girl stared at the man, crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, with no idea what to do. Should she run back and get the odd man with the half-moon glasses? Or should she leave now that he had been rendered unconscious? She couldn't have asked for better luck. There was no way she would have able to escape on her own. She wanted so badly to take the golden opportunity that she knew would most likely never come again, yet she felt that if she left this man alone, something horrible might happen to him.

She wanted to run and escape, but she couldn't let anyone die, not even a stranger. It all could still be some sort of trick to hurt her. Maybe this man was simply pretending to be hurt and was somehow leading her into a trap. After all, she didn't know this man or the older man that seemed a bit mad. She didn't even know how she her in the first place. Of course this man Remus, or whatever his name was, had just told her how she had gotten her, but then again he claimed to be a werewolf so she couldn't fully believe his word.

She had no idea what to do. She was trying to convince herself that he would be fine if she left, but she knew he wouldn't be. She couldn't knowingly abandon someone who could possibly die or at the very least face serious injury.

No… She couldn't leave this man. Not _this _man; the man with _her_ eyes. And with that, she turned around and bolted back up the stairs. When she reached the door to the other man's office, she burst in without even knocking. The older man was bent over a piece of parchment, writing a letter and looked up at her with an expression of great surprise. Not giving him a chance to say anything, she merely beckoned him frantically, for the girl felt that if she waited any longer than necessary something very awful would happen to the younger man.

After having successfully getting him to follow her, the girl led the way. She reached the bottom of the stairs and pointed at the spot where he had once lay motionless. Now she was horrified to see that he was shaking uncontrollably and that there was blood beginning to pool near his head. The bearded man came forward quickly and tried to stop him from hitting his head any more than he already had.

"Remus! Remus can you hear me?! He'll have to be taken to the hospital wing." Then he retrieved a long thin piece of wood like the nurse lady had and said "Wingardium Leviosa." Then to her amazement the man floated right up into the air.

"Come on! Quickly! We must get him to Madam Pomfrey, fast!" He waved his piece of wood and the injured man floated along ahead of them still shaking violently. The girl simply followed and simply ignored the fact that she had just seen a man levitate another man with a stick. She was too worried about getting this Remus man to the nurse on time.

It was only then, when she was walking as fast as she could to keep up, that she noticed the stabs of pain in her right leg and the seating pain in her left side. She knew perfectly well how she had obtained these injuries and she knew it had nothing to do with the supposed "werewolf" attack. She was simply relieved that the bearded man was too busy to notice. Hopefully he and the nurse would be too preoccupied helping the Remus man to notice at all. She did her best to keep up without showing that it felt as if her side were catching fire every time she drew breath, or that it felt as if someone was stabbing her leg with a rather large knife with every step she took. She might be able to hide it for now, but she knew she couldn't hide it forever.

She tried to ignore the pain herself by focusing on the man who was still shaking violently. She knew this could all be part of some elaborate scheme. Could this simply be one large trap to punish her? She didn't know, but unless this old man was a very good actor, he seemed genuinely concerned. Finally they stopped in front of two doors to which she only assumed was where the nurse was. The old man entered quickly and called for the nurse while he tried to use his piece of wood to lower the injured man on to a bed. As he was thrashing too violently to stay safely on the bed, he simply lowered him onto the ground.

The nurse came out then and stared at the scene for a split second before exclaiming "What happened to him?!" She came over and started moving her piece of wood over his convulsing body.

"There is no time for explanations, Poppy. Just make this stop." the old man said hurriedly.

"A seizure…and…my goodness! A very serious concussion!" She waved her stick and he stopped shaking immediately. The girl pointed frantically at the blood coming from the back of his head to get the nurse to notice. She turned his head and gasped.

"Well, no wonder! Honestly!" There was a large gash on the back of his head and blood was pouring out. She waved her stick once more and his head was somehow healed. The girl could do nothing but stare. The old man spoke softly.

"Remus…Remus can you hear me? Are you alright?" He groaned and stirred slightly. Both adults let out sighs of relief. The nurse waved her stick and his head was suddenly covered in bandages. The girl couldn't act as if she hadn't seen that. How was that possible? How could a piece of wood, that looked like nothing more than a stick, do all of these things? She must be hallucinating. There must be some sort of trick around it.

Suddenly the nurse spoke to her in a soft voice. "What happened to him?" The girl backed away, shielding herself with her arms. She knew this would happen. This _always_ happened. Why did everyone always blame her for everything? She didn't notice the two adults exchange glances. The bearded man seemed to know exactly what was going through her head.

"Madam Pomfrey is not accusing you of doing this to Remus nor is she going to punish you for it. We just want to know how this happened to him." he said slowly. The girl looked up at them cautiously. She pointed a shaking hand at the unconscious man but could do nothing else because her leg gave out and she had to clutch the nearest bed to keep from falling. Both adults noticed this and her sudden paleness. And with the blood on her face she looked almost as pale as a ghost.

"What is wrong, child?" the man asked "Is something the matter?" The girl swallowed nervously and shook her head quickly while letting go of the bed.

"Child if there is something wrong you must tell me now." The nurse said. The girl shook her head while she glanced at the injured man. The nurse nodded and smiled at her. Why was she smiling at her? Had she done something wrong? Why should there be any reason to smile her?

"He's alright now. You don't need to feel like you're delaying his treatment, see?" said the nurse as she levitated him onto a bed and wrapped his head in extra bandages. "He is quite cared for, but unless you don't want us to cure him completely, he will be in a lot of pain for quite some time. Now please tell us how he got hurt."

The girl was uncertain. She didn't want him to be in pain and she would never willingly let anyone suffer. So she beckoned them out of the hospital – like room and led them back to the staircase. She kept looking back at them to make sure they wouldn't try anything suspicious. She would never admit it but she was deathly afraid of these strangers. Once they reached the staircase she stopped and saw the adults staring at her expectantly. She merely pointed at the stairs.

"What, he fell?" the nurse asked and the girl nodded. She walked down slowly looking at each step carefully until she found what she was looking for. She beckoned the adults over and gestured at the step which had a bit of blood on it.

"I think I've seen enough blood in the last half hour." The nurse groaned. The man looked thoughtful. "I'm assuming he hit his head?" The girl nodded and pointed at another step which had a bit more blood on it than the last.

"More than once?" She nodded again. "Goodness! I have to get back to him now!" the nurse said as she ran back the way they came. The girl was left with the old man and she didn't like it at all. She didn't dare follow the nurse. She knew exactly what happened when you did things you weren't given permission to do. She could feel herself shaking slightly and avoided his gaze.

Why wasn't he following the lady? Did they plan this just so the man could be alone with her? He was going to hurt her, she knew it. Why did everyone always do this to her? Why was _she _always punished? Couldn't she just be left alone for once? The man spoke bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Do you not want to go back?" She stared at him. He was actually asking her if she wanted to go back? What? He kept looking at her expectantly. She had no idea what to do. Of course she couldn't just walk along herself because they never said anything about her being allowed to. Did he want to go on? She just stood, waiting to see. After a minute of standing in silence he spoke.

"Let's go." He started to walk and the girl knew she wouldn't be able to walk alongside him without him noticing her leg. He was looking at her expectantly. "Is something wrong?" She shook her head quickly and started to walk. She tried not to limp and was able to walk normally but it was killing her. And her side was burning worse than it ever had but she managed not to clutch at it. Even though she was keeping it hidden very well the man seemed to sense that something was wrong.

"Are you alright?" She nodded without looking up as it took all of her concentration to hide everything.

"You know it's alright to tell us if something is wrong." he said. She didn't know how to respond so she merely stood. After a second or two the man kept on walking. She followed and was glad when the doors to the hospital – like room came into view. They went inside and the nurse was pouring something into a vial before waving her stick and pointing it at the man's stomach.

"Oh, I was wondering when you would get – What is it Albus?" she said as the bearded man looked at her. "We must talk." he gestured toward her office. "I don't think I should leave Remus alone…"

"It will only take a minute. I do not think Remus will suddenly die if you take your eyes off him for a few seconds." He interrupted. She nodded and with a last glance at the unconscious man, she lead the way to what the girl supposed was her office. For the second time in a matter of minutes, she was left alone with a strange man, even if it was only an unconscious one. She felt uncomfortable in his presence. She felt as if she were some nutter who liked watching people sleep.

Suddenly, her side flared with pain and she clutched at it forcefully. Why was it hurting so much? She wondered if there really was something seriously wrong with her. And what were those adults talking about? She was sure that they were talking about her. If it was about the Remus man they could have said it aloud. They must be talking about ways to blame her for what happened to the man.

Then they reentered and the nurse immediately came toward the girl looking worried. "I think there is something you're not telling us." Yes, they were definitely talking about her. She shook her head much too quickly and the woman looked suspicious.

"Are you sure? Nothing hurts? There's nothing wrong?" The girl nodded the quickly shook her head. The old man looked confused.

"Is there or isn't there?" As if in answer to his question her leg gave out once more. She quickly clutched the bed and she could feel her side burning. She avoided the adults' gazes. The nurse made a move toward her and the girl scrambled away.

"For the last time, I'm not going to hurt you! Honestly, what was it like where you were living?" the woman asked. The girl couldn't answer that. Was it really possible that the nurse knew? How did she find out? She was so scared. She wanted to run away, make a run for it, but the adults were waiting for an answer. She knew there was no keeping it from them so she gave up and pointed to her leg.

The nurse placed a hand on it and it flared with pain. She cried out and fell to the floor. "Merlin! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" the woman said as she tried to help the girl up. The girl scrambled away only causing more pain. She cried out again as she fought to stay conscious. Her forehead was covered in beads of cold sweat and everything was hurting worse than ever.

The man rushed over and pulled out his stick. No! He was going to hurt her. She had to get away from these weird people. She tried to stand, only to fall hard on the floor. She felt herself slipping away but she couldn't fall asleep with these people! Who knows what they would do to her? The man was saying something but she couldn't make it out. The room was swimming and she could hold on any longer. She gave in to the darkness and fainted for the second time that day.

**A/N – These two can't stop getting hurt, can they? The more reviews I get, the faster I will post chapters. Even something like 'Hey I read it' would be welcome.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Merlin! Albus, I swear, I wasn't trying to hurt her!" Madam Pomfrey said as she bent over the girl. She pulled her up slightly and a look of surprise came over her. "She's lighter than a feather! I didn't notice it before but she is clearly underweight." Dumbledore nodded grimly and lifted the girl on to a bed.

Even in his old age, he was able to pick her up without strain. "Would you mind checking her leg?" he said. The nurse nodded and took out her wand. "My goodness! Why didn't she say something earlier! Her leg is broken! Oh! And she has three broken ribs! Do you think Remus did all this to her? Honestly! If I didn't know better I would say they were beating her…" She waited for Dumbledore to dismiss it but when he didn't, she looked at him fearfully.

"Albus? You don't think they actually are, do you?" Dumbledore only nodded once more. Madam Pomfrey's hand flew to her mouth. "Well, that would explain why she is so deathly afraid of all of us." She healed the girl's broken bones and checked her for any more damage she have been hiding. She had to heal a few cuts and bruises and she couldn't help but notice all of the scars the girl had.

"Well, what should we do now? I mean, honestly, that's twice in one day for both of them! First Remus and his transformation, not to mention all the stress and guilt from the attack, then on top of all that he gets hurt like this. That would be enough to drain a _healthy _person of energy." Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "And the poor girl, not having a clue of what's going on, getting attacked by a werewolf, plus her already weak state, then fainting from her other injuries, honestly!" She said shaking her head.

"Now that they are both stable, I'm going to notify the Weasley's about this whole situation. I was writing them a letter, but I was interrupted by the girl when Remus was hurt. Now, I think it will be easier to simply Floo to the Burrow. I'm sure they have worried themselves sick." The medi-witch nodded and Dumbledore walked to his office. He could have used Poppy's Floo, but he wanted to think…

Once he reached his office, he threw a bit of Floo powder into the fireplace and shouted "The Burrow!" After a few seconds of spinning, he stepped out of the fireplace at the Weasley's. He saw all them staring at him for a split second before they all started to speak at once.

-"Do you know what happened to Professor Lupin?"

-"Where's Remus?"

-"Is Remus alright?"

-"Professor Lupin's not in Azkaban is he?"

-"Has he been caught by You-know-who?"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "Silence!" he said. Everyone fell silent immediately and waited for him to speak.

"If you are worried about what has happened to Remus, I assure you, he is fine now." Mrs. Weasley looked impatient. "Well tell us! What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"Yes…but there is a complication. You see, Remus…well, I'll just have to show you, but only one of you." Dumbledore said looking around. Mrs. Weasley stepped forward.

"Well, it's obviously got to be me or Arthur." She said. All of the Weasley children began talking defiantly.

"What? No! We want to see Professor Lupin!" said George.

"He's the best teacher we've ever had!" said Fred.

"Plus, he's our friend!" said Ron.

Mrs. Weasley looked angry but so did her children. It was very quiet for a moment until Dumbledore spoke. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you children to come. You mother is right." They all gave him looks of disappointment and anger. "I think you should come, Arthur."

Mr. Weasley came forward. "Of course." He looked back to his family. "I'll be back soon." He followed Dumbledore into the Floo and stepped out into his office.

"Now Arthur, I should warn you that something of an accident has happened." Mr. Weasley immediately looked worried.

"What? What sort of accident? I thought you said Remus was alright!" he said. Dumbledore put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "He is, he is…but, Remus...he didn't manage to take his potion before the full moon. And he attacked girl on his way home." Mr. Weasley hung his head slightly.

"Oh, no. That will destroy him… He always declined when we would welcome him to stay at the Burrow. He always told me that he didn't want to risk something going wrong and that he would never forgive himself if he hurt any of us. She is alright, though, isn't she?" Dumbledore nodded grimly.

"Yes, she is, but we don't know if we were able to counteract the bite in time. We're still not sure if she has been infected." Mr. Weasley nodded and followed Dumbledore to the Hospital Wing. The red haired man was silent the entire way, looking as though he were afraid of what he would find. They reached the double doors and they rushed in. Mr. Weasley saw Remus lying in a bed looking weak, injured and near death. Then he saw a girl that was so covered in blood that she simply looked like one red splotch. She seemed even paler than Lupin, if possible.

"Dear Lord…did he really do that to her?" he whispered. Just then Madam Pomfrey came rushing out of her office holding several vials of potions.

"Oh! Arthur! You really shouldn't be in here!" She said as she rushed to the girl's side, frantically charming several different potions into the girl's system. "Albus, help me…Her wounds have opened up again. I was so stupid! We haven't dealt with werewolf injuries for so long that I forgot charms don't work on them!" Dumbledore rushed to the side of her bed and motioned for Mr. Weasley to come and help. The medi-witch had rushed back into her office.

"Put pressure on the bite. Poppy! Bring the werewolf ointment! She's bleeding out!" Dumbledore called as he also put pressure on the girl's thin shoulder. Suddenly as if all the weight on her shoulder had woken her, the girl cried out in unmistakable pain. "Oh, God! I'm hurting her! I'm sorry – I'm not trying…" Mr. Weasley stammered.

"It's alright..." Dumbledore cut him off "Poppy! The ointment!" Madam Pomfrey came rushing out once more, with a bottle of ointment. Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley moved away and she quickly began dabbing at the girl's neck. The blood flow slowed and they were all able to breathe a bit easier. Mr. Weasley looked severely shaken and Dumbledore led him outside.

"I'm sorry I brought you to that Arthur. They were both stable when I left. Perhaps we shouldn't let anyone else come yet…" Mr. Weasley nodded numbly. They both knew that by "anyone" Dumbledore had meant Mrs. Weasley. They couldn't risk her seeing something like that and break down into hysterics.

"I just…I didn't know it was that bad…" He whispered "Will – will she die?" Dumbledore looked grim and the twinkle was absent from his eyes. "We do not know. After losing so much blood, I don't think anyone…" Mr. Weasley faltered. "But she was up and walking around a few minutes ago. She lost a fair amount of blood before and she was still conscious somehow… She has withstood quite a lot. I think she'll pull through." Mr. Weasley only stared at his blood covered hands not looking the least bit assured.

"It's just…If that girl dies, Remus will be – he won't be able to bear it. I know he won't…" he whispered shakily. Just then Madam Pomfrey came out looking very worried. "Well, she's stopped bleeding, but her wounds aren't closing up as they should be."

Mr. Weasley looked back and forth between the other two adults. "Well why didn't Remus stay home?"

"He had gone out to town for some things he needed but I assure you that Remus didn't simply sit by this girl and wait to change. He tried his best to get away from any people, but this girl just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." said Dumbledore. Mr. Weasley nodded and took several steadying breaths before going back into the Hospital Wing. He walked up to Lupin's side and looked as if he were afraid of touching him, for fear of hurting him.

"The girl needs blood…or she might not survive…" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore. Mr. Weasley whipped around. "What? She's going to die?" The witch looked too afraid to say anything. "Well no, I'm not saying she will_ definitely_ die, but she needs more blood or she might…"

Mr. Weasley was determined to do everything he could to keep this girl alive. He sat on the end of Remus's bed. "Well don't you have any blood stored here?" He asked looking confused.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Not her blood type."

Mr. Weasley shook his head and looked at Lupin sadly. "Remus…I'm so sorry. I know you would never hurt anyone on purpose." He stood up. "So what happened to _him_? Why is he like this?" Madam Pomfrey was looking scandalized again; as if the mere thought of one person being hurt so much at one time was overwhelming.

"Well obviously Remus was already weak from his transformation and when he saw he had hurt the girl, the Apparated here with her. We healed her up and we were going to send both of them to the Burrow. We had to see if she would transform next month, but then Remus fell down the stairs and had a seizure. Of course that didn't help his state and he's been unconscious since. The girl had three broken ribs and a broken leg that she didn't tell us about, so she passed out from the pain. Honestly…I'm starting to think that they're doing it on purpose…No one can be that prone to accidents."

Mr. Weasley was staring at the two bed ridden people, disbelievingly. "They went through all that? Remus will recover won't he?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Of course. He just needs time to heal."

"And the girl?" he asked. Dumbledore answered. "She won't speak to us. She is too afraid to say anything. All we know is that she lives in an orphanage." Mr. Weasley nodded and sat back on the bed. "So she needs blood to survive?" he asked, looking at the bag that was dripping medicine into the girl's veins. "What blood type is she?"

"AB negative." Madam Pomfrey said.

Mr. Weasley looked up quickly. "What?!"

"I said AB negative, why?" Madam Pomfrey said, looking confused.

Mr. Weasley was bewildered. "That's – That's the same as Remus…" All of the adults stared at each other.

"But, that's a rare blood type…that's why we don't have any. How can that be?" said Madam Pomfrey. Mr. Weasley merely felt fortunate but he saw something flash across Dumbledore's face, but it vanished quickly and the witch began to speak. "Well that's just very lucky. I mean, what are the chances of that?" Suddenly Lupin groaned in his sleep and everyone whipped around to look at him. He had beads of sweat on his forehead and was looking very pale. He stirred slightly and opened his eyes.

All of the adults spoke in unison. "Remus?" He jumped and a look of pain shot across his face.

"No, don't move…" Mr. Weasley said, lightly holding him down.

"What…What happened?" Lupin asked in a weak voice. Dumbledore stepped forward.

"You fell down the stairs, my boy. You got a concussion and had a seizure." Lupin's eyes fell on the girl. He sat bolt upright making everyone in the room start.

"What – What happened to her?!" he asked. There was such as worried look in his eyes, he didn't even noticed that had ripped the IV out of his hand. "Remus, you should lie down." Mr. Weasley said putting a firm hand on his shoulder, carefully pushing him down into a semi-reclined position.

"What's wrong? Why is she unconscious?" Lupin asked. Then he fisted his hair angrily. "Oh, it was me wasn't it? I just can't stop hurting her!" Mr. Weasley looked very upset at seeing Lupin like this. Dumbledore seemed to feel the same way, for he put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Remus. Calm down. She didn't tell us that she had unattended injuries and she fainted." Lupin looked drained and fell back onto his pillows without taking his eyes off the girl. He seemed a bit out of it and all the adults exchanged meaningful glances.

"Perhaps it would be best to wait a few days before sending him to the Burrow…" Dumbledore said, fixing Lupin's IV. Both Mr. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey simply nodded.

**A/N – Poor Remus…Things get a bit better in the next chapter. But I need reviews to know that you guys want it! Reviews make The Wolf happy! I will post more chapters much faster if I get loads of reviews as opposed to one. So if you want to find out what happens to Remus and the girl go and review right now! **


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